Cooling system for an electric machine
AssigneeCaterpillar Inc.
InventorsRobert Thomas McEneaney, Jeffrey Thomas Michielutti
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In some implementations, a cooling system for an electric machine may include an air inlet at a first end of the electric machine configured to provide an air flow through a housing of the electric machine. The cooling system may include one or more baffles removably coupled to a stator of the electric machine, the one or more baffles positioned proximate to a second end of the electric machine, and the one or more baffles being configured to direct the air flow toward one or more windings of the electric machine at the second end. The cooling system may include one or more openings in the housing of the electric machine proximate to the second end of the electric machine configured to enable the air flow to pass into or out of the housing.
Claims20
A cooling system for an electric machine, comprising:
- an air inlet, in a housing of the electric machine, at a first end of the electric machine to allow ambient air from outside the housing, through the air inlet, along a passageway of the housing, and toward one or more baffles removably coupled, as a unitary structure, to a stator of the electric machine, the one or more baffles being positioned proximate to a second end of the electric machine, and the one or more baffles being configured to direct the ambient air toward one or more windings of the electric machine at the second end;
- and
- one or more openings in the housing of the electric machine proximate to the second end of the electric machine configured to enable the ambient air to pass into or out of the housing.
An electric machine, comprising:
- a housing including an air inlet;
- a stator;
- one or more windings configured within the stator, the one or more windings from a first end of the electric machine to a second end of the electric machine, the first end being proximate to the air inlet;
- and
- one or more baffles configured to be removably coupled, as a unitary structure to the stator or to a rotor of the electric machine, wherein each of the one or more baffles includes a first portion, extending along a first plane, and a second portion extending along a second plane different from the first plane, wherein the first portion and the second portion together form a continuous airflow-deflecting surface, and wherein the second portion extends away from the one or more windings and toward the first end.
A cooling system for an electric machine, comprising:
- an air inlet at a first end of the electric machine configured to provide an air flow through a housing of the electric machine;
- and
- one or more baffles, positioned proximate to a second end of the electric machine, comprising:
- a bracket, removably coupled directly to a stator of the electric machine, comprising a first end and a second end opposite from the first end, wherein the first end of the bracket has a curvature with a radius that is based on a radius of the housing, and
- a deflector extending from the stator and the second end of the bracket, wherein the deflector extends away from the stator at an angle towards the first end that is greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.